CENERS-K ANNUAL REPORT 2022-2023

ANNUAL REPORT – 2022-2023 

ADDRESS by SECRETARY 

Last AGM of our Organisation was held virtually on 01 May 2022. Today’s Annual Report covers the period from 02 May 2022 to 04 May 2023. 

The schedule of Events to be conducted for the period under review was finalised during the AGM of May 2022. Events were – namely: – 

1. A) A Round Table Discussion on “Ways and Means to Revive Economic Activity and Manufacturing Industry in the State of West Bengal” Prof Suman K Mukerjee was to oversee the conduct. The Event was held on 25 August 2022 at the ICCR Seminar Room No 1. Mr Harsh Poddar steered the discussion as moderator.Amongst the participants were, President ACM Arup Rana, Member Emeritus Lt Gen J R Mukherjee, Prof S K Mukerjee , Ex DGP Assam Mr J N Chaudhuri, Amb Sarvajit Chakravarti, Prof Ishani Naskar, Prof Shantanu Chakravarti, Mr Somenath Pune, Mr Arindam Mukherjee, Mr Sumit Bose, Mr Shiladitya Chatterjee, Maj Gen S N Mukherjee and Brig N S Mukherjee. It was a very well appreciated event and a comprehensive report was prepared and uploaded on our CENERS-K portal. 
2. B) The next event that the Organisation conducted was the R K Datta Memorial Lecture. The Event was held on 06 September 2022 at the Bengal Club. The theme for the second version of the Memorial Lecture was ” The need for Electoral Reforms in India”. We were fortunate to have Dr S Y Quraishi, Former Chief Election Commissioner of India, to deliver the Memorial Lecture to a full house. A comprehensive report has been uploaded on our website. 
3. C) The third Event to be conducted was a Seminar on ” The Nagaland Accord Breaking the Deadlock “. Lt Gen J R Mukherjee was the coordinator, and also the Member who was tasked to oversee the conduct of the Seminar. The Event was held virtually on 30 November 2022. The panelists included Mr G K Pillai, IAS(Retd) Former Union Home Secretary ,Government of India,Mr Aletmshi Jamir, IAS(Retd) Former CS Nagaland, Lt Gen K H Singh, (Retd) Ex GOC XVI Corps , Mr Samir Purokayastha, Journalist, Mr Subir Bhaumik, former BBC Correspondent and an authority on North Eastern politics, social and cultural ethos and the machinations of the region including the regions proximity to Bangladesh, Bhutan and Myanmar , Mr J N Chaudhuri, Former DGP Assam ,who also acted as the Moderator. Members may appreciate that one cannot have a more authoritative and knowledgeable panel of speakers than what the Organisation could assemble, largely due to Gen Mukherjee’s initiative and personal connect with panelists .Gen Mukherjee prepared a comprehensive report on the Webinar. The report will soon be published in our Journal. 

The next two events planned were the Economic Summit in partnership with BCC& I and the Calcutta Dialogue in partnership with ICC& I. The BCC& I have recommended that the Economic Event be postponed to June/ July and be held in Guwahati. They have proposed that the Event be held on the theme ” Connecting MSMEs to Defence Production ” Their proposal is that our Organisation provide the intellectual content and provide specific focus on what can be achieved and they introduce the Business angle of monetisation and manufacture of weapons and products in the North East . BCC&I will provide complete administrative and logistical support to conduct the Event. A meeting was held with the BCC& I in February . Our team comprised ACM Raha, Prof S K Mukherjee and Brig N S Mukherjee and basic

theme and content finalised. The Event is likely to be further postponed as BCC& I is preoccupied with some other major initiatives that the have scheduled. The Calcutta Dialogue is normally scheduled by us to be conducted virtually or physically in the month of April. However this time we have not been able to stick to the scheduled date due to preoccupation of the team members nominated to coordinate the conduct with ICC &I.We intend to explore the possibility of conducting the Event in July 2023. The theme for the Seminar has been finalised as follows ” India’s Reading of the Ongoing Russia-Ukraine War, the Geopolitical Fallout resulting in a New World Order and the Development in the overall Eco sphere with special reference to India-China trade and Security Issues” It was felt that such a theme would cover all aspects that are normally deliberated upon in the Calcutta Dialogue. 

In addition to the above planned and scheduled Event , our Organisation participated in a number of seminars and Discussions to which select team of CENERS-K members participated. 

From 23 to 25 November 2022, a team of CENERS -K participated in a Eastern Command conducted Seminar themed” Measuring upto Dragons Challenge” Gen J R Mukherjee, Former DGP J N Chaudhuri and Former Governor of Nagaland Shekhar Dutta participated. The Seminar covered a very extensive canvas. An edited CD is likely to be provided by HQ Eastern Command to us which we intend uploading on our website. We have yet to receive the CD from them . Some security issues are being resolved and the edited version of the conduct will then be made available. 

The British Consulate had invited CENERS-K on three occasions to interact with their delegates, both diplomatic and defence personnel from RCDS. The first interaction took place at the British Consulate premises on 31 January 2023.Representatives from the College of Policing had during the interaction, showcased UK Products related to Cyber Forensics, Cyber Defence and Border Security. Basically the delegates representing some private corporates wanted to know how they could sell their products in the North Eastern States, seeking guidelines and advice as to selection of vendors and ways to connect with Indian Partners.During the other two interactions held in the second and third week of March 2023,the main area of focus for discussions was QUAD and developments in the South East Asia and the Pacific Region. The venues were the Kenilworth Hotel and Park Hotel. We fielded a four-member team on each of these occasions. They have again invited a team of four to five members to interact with a delegation of RCDS on 12 May 2023 at the Kenilworth Hotel. The proposed topics for discussion are: – 

1. a) Geopolitical and security dynamics in East and Northeast India with reference to China. 

b)Political situation in Myanmar and its implications across the region. c) Cross border security issues with Bangladesh. 

Gen Mukherjee, Former DGP Jayanto Chaudhuri, Amb Sarvajit Chakravarti and Brig Mukherjee will form part of the CENERS-K Team. President ACM Arup Raha may also attend depending on his availability. 

In addition to the conduct of events and interaction with respected institutions and organisations, our Organisation was also required to interact with Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security (BIPS) with whom we have signed an MOU by

inviting them to participate in a Seminar during the year under review. Unfortunately due to financial constraints and lack of support and sponsorship we were unable to stick to the understanding with BIPS . In the coming activity period we intend to remind them to plan a Seminar in Dhaka .Should they respond positively, we will have to take a call as to who all will be part of the team representing CENERS-K and who will finance the travel arrangements. Boarding Lodging and transportation will of course be the responsibility of BIPS. Members may like to propose a suitable theme for the Seminar which would cover contemporary issues which are confronting both neighbours. 

Next , I wish to also inform all present that Ambasador Chakravarti , after due deliberations in GC meetings, drafted an Internship Programme for our Organisation. The Internship programme has been uploaded on our website and has been given sufficient publicity by way of word of mouth representation to University Faculties and Private Colleges and Institutions. The Internship Programme is up and running. It has found some traction amongst post graduate students. Two interns were mentored by selected members and some non members of which one received certificate of Successful Completion of Internship , whilst the other was found wanting in intellectual prowess. We have received some more requests for joining the Internship Programme and the requests are being processed. Ambasador Chakravarti has been appointed as the Director of the Internship Programme. Should there be any questions about the Programme, I will request Amb Chakravarti to respond at a later stage at today’s AGM. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish to also bring to your notice that we signed an MOU with New University of Slovenia on 03 September 2021. Of the IX Articles incorporated in the MOU, most deal with exchange of Research Publications, Joint Research Proposals, holding joint seminars and conferences, exchange of experts as also keeping in close touch with each other. As per the MOU , the University has also established an India Study Centre in collaboration with ICCR . We recently held an interaction with the Ambassador of Slovenia to India, Her Excellency Mateja Vodeb Ghosh at the Bengal Club on 10 January 2023. She was accompanied by the local Hony Consul General. Mementos were gifted by our Organisation to the Ambasador, Consul General and a memento to be handed over to Prof Peter Jambrek – President of the University and the authority who had signed the MOU . CENERS–K team was led President ACM Arup Raha. 

Discussions centred around the next level of interaction and hosting a delegation of the University in Kolkata during the current year. 

An informal RTD was also held on 06 February at the Veterans Lounge at Army Officers Institute on 06 February 2023 on the theme” Advantages and Disadvantages of Bifurcation of West Bengal into – North Bengal, South Bengal and UT of Gorkhaland, ” Two eminent panelists, were invited namely- Ambasador Amitabh Triphathi and Advocate SC Abhijit Bhattacharyya. CENERS-k was represented by Gen Mukherjee. Maj Gen S N Mukherjee, Maj Gen Arun Roye and Brig N S Mukherjee. The unanimous outcome of the discussion was that it is neither a possibility nor a favourable economic or political proposal. At best it is a periodical rhetoric bandied about by a political dispensation to polarise and gain electoral benefits.

I wish to inform all that we were earlier on the verge of defaulting as a recognised and registered society due to non compliance with certain mandatory filing of reports and returns. It took us nearly two years of concerted efforts to regularise the shortcomings. I wish to complement our Office Assistant Mr Robert Harless , who is present here today , as the person who finally completed all the formalities and ensured that as of now we are a compliant society and are a fully legitimate and registered society with special concessions under section 12A(b) of the Income Tax ,1961 in the case of charitable institutions. We continue to be legitimately listed with the Registrar of Societies as a non funded and not for profit and tax exempt Organisation. It is a matter of some pride for us that we as an Organisation are registered as a Think Tank by NITI AYOG at Nett Assessment Cell at New Delhi. We have been very well advised by our Chartered Accountant Ms S L Dugar and Associates as to handling our accounts and also adhere to mandatory compliances. Today we have the accounts audited and kept ready for perusal on the side table with a caveat that the audited accounts are presented as Draft Audit Report. The final Report will only be available after banks submit all certificates as on 31 March 2023. The nuances of a draft audit report and a completed audit report will be clarified by our Chartered Accountant especially the technicalities involved. We would have had to hold our AGM sometime in mid June if we wanted the completed Audit after receipts of all bank reconciliation and certificates. 

Members would also recollect that Editor of our Journal CJGA had during the last AGM given a detailed resume on publishing of the Journal, the response that we are getting from prospective authors as also the progress of further enlarging the readership of the Journal . He has been periodically forwarding articles for peer review by the team of members nominated earlier and had expressed the anxiety that members were either not reviewing the articles in time or were sometimes not responding at all. There are other issues which need to be discussed and the same will be addressed by the Editor as per the listing of Agenda Points. Lastly before we commence on deliberations on the listed Agenda Points I also wish to highlight certain important decisions taken during the last AGM which has yet to be implemented and taken to their logical conclusion . These issues are :- A) Increasing the membership of the Organisation to an upper ceiling of 100. B) Consider branding of the CENERS-K Organisation for attracting eyeballs and readership and visits to our website and subscribe to our Journal. Mr Lahiri had explained how this could be done professionally. 

1. C) Ms Karuna Singh had recommended that we need to invest in Green Economy by inviting speakers worldwide from reputed Organisations such as World Bank , European Union etc .A team of Dr SK Mukerjee , Mr Lahiri and Ms Karuna Singh was to be formed to take this initiative forward. 
2. D) Mr Asok Dasgupta had advised that we need to think of offering prizes and recognition to corporates who were manufacturing and retailing products in various sectors to attract them to interact and participate with us and be more responsive to our requests for sponsorship. 
3. E) Mr Nirmallaya Bhattacharyya had recommended that we should reconsider the aspect of FCRA grants, although our CA had advised otherwise. F) Ms Mitra, an Intern who had associated with our Organisation as an observer, had recommended that we engage with post graduate students of prestigious colleges in Kolkata for attracting them to becoming members as also be part of our Internship Programme. 

Although the above recommendations were well appreciated ,timely and doable, unfortunately no forward movement on any of these valuable points were taken . It seems some sort of fatigue has set in. I request that any member who makes a

valuable point for enhancing the functioning of our Organisation does not just offer the advise but has the energy , time and resources of working towards implementation of the recommendation, if the same is unanimously accepted. Finally, the format for today’s AGM will be :- 

1) Take up the Agenda Points as per listing. 

1. a) Auditors Report-Perusal and Passing of Accounts. 
2. b) Appointment of Auditor- 2023-2024 
3. c) Review of key GC Meet decisions. 
4. d) Schedule of Events for the year 2023- 2024. 
5. e) Issues Related to CJGA and Appointment of Prof Shantanu Chakravarti as Academic 

Adviser. 

1. f) Sponsoring of a New Member & Review of Active Members. g) Election of Office bearers. 
2. e) Points from Members. 

2) Vote of Thanks.